Top Three Must Have Guns For Every Hunter

The present gun marketplace is flooded with various options for different hunters. These include semi-automatic, lever action, break action, bolt action, pump-action guns which are all now available under one roof in most gun stores across the country. If you are a hunter looking for guns under the current market conditions, the only thing that might stand in between you and owning a gun is your budget.

There is no pre-set minimum or maximum number of guns a hunter can own. However, most hunters today own two to three guns. So we have decided to put together a list of top three hunting guns that you may want to own.

Rimfire Rifle

This is one of the most wanted hunter guns and is available in .22 or .17 versions. The most important factor that makes this gun so desirable (especially for beginners) and stand apart from its competitors is that it has no or almost zero recoil. This is the reason why most amateurs begin their hunting with rimfire rifles. Also, the ammunition required for this gun is so inexpensive that you can use it extensively while practicing at the range and thus, master your shooting skills very cheaply.

This gun is equally good for both small game hunting as well as pest hunting. You can make use the gun to its perfection while hunting small animals like squirrels, rabbits and mountain birds such grouse or ptarmigan or even a turkey (if it’s legal). Also, it comes in quite handy while hunting pests around your rural property such as pack rats, squirrels and marmots.

Wide variety of ammunition is obtainable for any kind of task you choose to perform. If you want to learn or practice at a shooting range, lead bullets having round nose are the best option. They are very cheap and also work well with paper and cardboard targets. If you want to go on a small game hunting, solid nose copper jacketed lead bullets will best serve the purpose. The reason being, the tough copper jacket cover on the bullet makes penetration easier while the slid nose reduces the meat damage done to the game. If you want to try larger animals like turkey, foxes or coyotes from a close range, hollow point copper jacketed lead bullets are the best.

Today, you will find guns belonging to this category with almost every gun manufacturer. If you are new to hunting, single shot rimfire rifles with bolt/break action and spotting scope may suit you the best. Experienced hunters can opt for more sophisticated rimfire rifles that come with semi-auto, lever or pump actions. Simply put, none can match with rimfire rifles as far as small game hunting is concerned.

Shotgun

This is yet another indispensable firearm that every hunter must possess. Often designated as a domestic or self-defense weapon, this rifle can be a perfect fit for both small as well as big game hunting.

As far as versatility is concerned, shotgun is second to none. It can make use of varied ammunition for different games and also has minimal recoiling skeet making it a “hard to miss” weapon for hunters. If you want to use it for small games, such as rabbits or upland birds, shots ranging from number 8 through to number 6 are apt. Shots ranging from number 6 through to number 4 are perfect for slightly bigger animals such as ducks, turkey or geese. If you have big game hunting in mind, you will want to go for buck shot or slugs, which will enable you to hunt bigger animals like deer. These bigger shots can also help you to keep treacherous animals (for example, bears) at bay.

Shotguns are available in pump action, semi-auto, and bolt as well as lever actions. They are available in single barreled and double barreled variations having break-open functionality. Of all the above, pump and break-open actions are the most popular ones, closely followed by semi-autos.

Different shotgun gauges with their suitable game:

410 gauge: used for small game hunting such as grouse, squirrels, rabbit, vermin and partridge
28 gauge: All the above game plus larger birds and ducks
20 gauge: All the above game plus small predator hunt such as fox, coyote (from close range) as well as turkey. Can also be used for self-defense
16 gauge: All the above
12 gauge: : All the above game plus for big game hunting such as deer and bear
10 gauge: : All the above

In other words, shotgun has ammunition range available for all games and you can seldom go wrong while using it.

A Break-Action 12 Gauge Shotgun | Source: Wiki Creative Commons

Centerfire Bolt-Action Rifle

This is the third and the last must have hunter gun in the list. Though there are a number of variations available in this category, bolt-action is considered the best, as it fits almost any kind of ammunition. This means, as a hunter, you can make the best use of this rifle for both small and large game. The only difference is, you will be using light weight bullets for small game and heavier ones for bigger game. Apart from that, bolt-action rifles are easy to use, maintain and are more often than not, accurate.

An important point to be noted here is, instead of going for rifles with exotic calibers, hunters should opt for popular models, because the costs involved for ammunition is much cheaper in the later case.

Different centerfire bolt-action rifle gauges and their suitable games:

This is the most reliable and durable rifle in the market that fits almost any hunter.

Bolt-action hunting rifle with scope | Source: Wiki Creative Commons

Conclusion

The above mentioned three guns are the most reliable and hunter friendly ones. If you are a good hunter and own all the three of them, there is hardly any animal on the planet that you cannot hunt!

Author Bio

Eric John is the founder of LifeUnderSky.com. This blog focuses on hunting/shooting/survival. As in his experienced, He will guide you through the Do’s and Don’ts of the hunting world and transform you into a better hunter. Whether you are an experienced hunting or an absolute beginner, you will find a gem!

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